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BTD Forums / The GenoType Diet / Must we all transition from the BTD to Genotype

Posted by: Chloe, Sunday, January 13, 2008, 6:32pm

In my absolute confusion (and near rebellion) about this Genotype diet (vs. the BTD) I've come across something I want to share with you all...This is a quote from Dr. D that I think might clear up some issues regarding the necessity to give up the BTD in favor of the Genotype diet.

"If the Blood Type Diet has worked well for you—as it does daily for millions of people—there’s no need to change your diet at all. As you’ll see from the stories below, you may want to add a few new Geno-correct foods to your diet that are discussed in The GenoType Diet."

OK, so this is the situation for me. I can only be a Warrior as the book measurements are correctly identifying me as such. If there was such a thing as a combination type, I'd be an Explorer/ Warrior because I'm intolerant of most chemicals, caffeine and I'm very allergy prone..Many of the dairy foods like quark, cottage cheese and paneer, I've already triedthis week and react terribly so I know that they won't work. It's not that I'm intolerant of lactose as much as dairy protein and casein. My skin breaks out and my stomach bloats.So, I know dairy is totally wrong for me. I don't know of any member of my family whohas tolerated dairy very well. And most of us are type A.

The type A diet for the amount of time I've followed it seemed fine for me, except for the excessive amount of soy which I didn't tolerate more than a few times a week nor was any dairy or any gluten grains tolerable. These are similar issues with my type Asiblings, their children and my my children. (family history of similar food intolerances) All genotype groups get dairy and some get a lot. So, what I've managed to figure out from Dr. D's quote is this: If we got decent results from the BTD, we can stay on that diet. If we need to lose weight or have health issues we might want to follow the Genotype diet or at least choose some genotype diet "diamond" beneficial foods and add it to our BTD protocol. Not everyone has to make an abrupt change unless they feel it is physically necessary.

I figured out I can add things like pine nuts, goji berries and concentrate on the more beneficial genotype diet fruits and veggies for a Warrior. I don't tolerate eggs, so my protein list is limited to fish and very small amounts of organic poultry. But I still think I wouldn'teat poultry unless I faced no other options. I can survive on mostly plant foods and feelgood. And what makes me know I've been eating right for so long is that rather than tohave reached middle age falling apart as Warriors seem to do, I look 10 years younger than I really am and don't seem to have taken the path of many other Warriors. And Dr. D saysa Mediterranean diet is the basic diet for a Warrior....AND it seemed to be a fairly basicdiet for a type A as well.

I think I've discovered that there is going to be a need for some people to combine thetwo diets and figure out for themselves specifically which foods if used more frequently will enhance their health.

I'm feeling less rebellious and anxious over this abrupt change because I've only made a slight adjustment rather than a big one. I only added a few foods and the ones I did add are working well. Never knew how much I loved PINE NUTS!

WHEW~

Here is bit more from that Health update newsletter from Dr. D for those who never read it

GenoType Questions and Answers: Does GenoType Replace Blood Type?

Since our last email announcing Dr. D’Adamo’s new book The GenoType Diet we’ve received lots of emails asking questions like these:How do I find out my GenoType?Do I have to change what I eat?Does the GenoType diet replace the Blood Type Diet?Here are just a few answers:

1. The Blood Type Diet is alive and well! It’s not being replaced—millions of people around the world follow the Blood Type Diet, and hundreds of thousands of people every year continue to discover the Blood Type Diet. This won’t change. In fact, with the GenoType Diet book sure to catch on—more people will also discover Eat Right 4 Your Type.

2. For many people, the GenoTypes are just a way of refining their diets, much like secretor status refines the diets.

3. If the Blood Type Diet has worked well for you—as it does daily for millions of people—there’s no need to change your diet at all. As you’ll see from the stories below, you may want to add a few new Geno-correct foods to your diet that are discussed in The GenoType Diet.

Posted by: Lisalea, Sunday, January 13, 2008, 6:53pm; Reply: 1

In general I'm NOT at all concerned about the fruits and vegetables per say 'cause let's face it, most of them r NOT avoids and healthy for us ... I'm MORE concerned about the vegetable protein, carbs, spices and the condiments radical changes ...

Let me give u an example:If I should continue with BTD knowing full well that lima beans which r beneficial for B's ... r AVOIDS for my Genotpe ... well, here's MY dilema ... eat or NOT to eat ??) Do we just take what's convenient for us ?? It wouldn't make much sence ... ::)furthermore, just 'cause I eat them and don't react badly to them doesn't mean it's NOT harming me somehow ... right ??'cause suddenly they're AVOIDS in Genotype ... must be a reason :-/That's where I get stuck and start to question and wonder and then it kind of becomes stressful :'(

Thank-u ;D ;) :)

Posted by: Dr. D, Sunday, January 13, 2008, 7:02pm; Reply: 2

I wrote this on the GTD.com site:

Quoted Text

If folks just drop their guard for a while, relax and run with it, they should find that when the time comes to compare outcomes, these diets will outperform anything out there, and at least in 70-80% of the cases, my own prior work. The food choices are just a lot more information intensive.

You don't have to do anything. At the minimum it will provide you with added insight about yourself (now... did you know your finger lengths or ridge patterns before the GTD?), and what you choose to do with it is completely up to you. I am perhaps the least autocratic diet guru out there. You guys are all adults. Factor in what appears authentic, benefit from that, and leave the rest. Check back periodically to see if things look better with the old 20/20 hindsight.

There have to be differences between the GTD and BTD. After all, to a certain degree they have different goals. Can you employ both? Sure, why not? It is all part of my larger search for the truth.

Funny, how the talk ran before the GTD came out. The majority of people were saying stuff like 'Well, I suspect that it is not going to change much from the other books, so I'm not even sure that I'll buy it.'

Of course if you do supply change, people freak out, but for different reasons.

I just love it when Dr. D. takes part in our conversations. It is like he really cares and listens... Not like he is some man up on a pedestal! Thanks Dr. D.

Posted by: Brighid45, Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:42pm; Reply: 5

I'm seeing the next few months to a year as my experimental stage--a time to start figuring out what works for me BTD-wise, and GTD-wise. I already know just within two weeks time that I'll have to be cautious with dairy and grains, but I can have both within the more modest Gatherer portion allowances. Ditto beans, nuts and seeds. I'm going to enjoy finding my own path amid the larger group of Gatherers. This is gonna be FUN. :)

Anyway, whatever works for you is what you need to do, you know? As Dr. D has said on several occasions, the diet is not a straitjacket. He has also repeatedly said we're all individuals. So if the BTD works fine for you with a few modifications from the GTD, go for it. Finding health and joy is the main goal, imo.

Posted by: Andrea AWsec, Sunday, January 13, 2008, 11:39pm; Reply: 6

I am a Warrior as well. Welcome to what appears to be the minority so far. I can relate to your rebellion over the changes from one plan to another. I can admit it made me moody and diffucult to deal with for a few days. After all I had mastered the BTD for myself and my family a mix of A's and O's. Now I had to start over learning new food lists.

But when I looked closely at myself I found a few things that I really wanted to clean up that I had not been able to do on the BTD. I fingerprinted myself and found a ton of white lines indicating an intolerance to gluten/lectins. No wonder I had such a hard time cleaning my hands of dirt after a day in the garden. The dirt was trapped in all the little white lines. My hair was falling out more then it should (I am by no means bald) and when my husband mentioned it I got defensive. I was developing Rosacea, very mild but it was on its way.In the past three years I had 3-4 Urinary tract infections. Indicating to me my kidneys needed a good cleaning, and were not completely healthy. I still had too much urgency.

My Older brother BT A (58 years old) was recently diagonsed with border line Diabetes and optic neuritis (a life long vegetarian and never over weight). My sister (53 years old) BT O hesitantly told me her cholesterol was high, and she could not eat meat ( as she ate cookies and cake). We share the same genetic history. They warn me of mypossible destiny.

So the GTD was a good thing. It made me seriously consider some things that I was negelecting. My family history and how it will impact me as I age ( I am 45) and my present health.

The beauty of the GT diet is that it takes into account the future and the past.

It also helped me to take a second look at the foods I was not eating that were benefcial to me.

I already can tell you there is less hair in the drain when I shower. I have less urgency and I am sleeping better.

Like you I get told I am younger then I look. People can't believe I have an 18 year old daughter. Most recently someone thought my husband was my father. I would like it to stay that way. I beleive the GT diet will help me to do that.

I think the world of Peter, and I would probably follow him off a cliff, I am sure I would have a few people behind me.

Joy to you on your quest for health and balance

Posted by: RedLilac, Monday, January 14, 2008, 12:18am; Reply: 7

One of the other posts mentioned people who jump right into the water vs. toe testers. If you are more comfortable being a toe tester, then so be it. I toe test first, then jump in. So far I’ve toe tested for almost 2 weeks and now I’m ready to jump in. I slipped up today and ate feta cheese made from lamb. I got a stomach ache. I bought it yesterday from the Euro market where I got my fresh mutton. On Saturday I just had a little bit on a rice cake and it was OK. Today I put lots in with rice and ghee. It was a beneficial on the B diet and now it is a dot avoid on the Explorer diet. Maybe after I have transitioned totally for 3 months then I can occasionally have a little bit in a Greek salad.

You don't have to do anything. At the minimum it will provide you with added insight about yourself (now... did you know your finger lengths or ridge patterns before the GTD?), and what you choose to do with it is completely up to you.

So true :) I was amazed to find that my fingerprints were the same on both hands. I just imagined every finger would be different.

At the minimum it will provide you with added insight about yourself (now... did you know your finger lengths or ridge patterns before the GTD?), and what you choose to do with it is completely up to you.

Totally. I already knew from eliminating wheat on BTD that the digestive problems I always attributed to lactose intolerance where really caused by wheat. When I look at the many, many white lines I have in my fingerprints, I see that the extra reduction of gluten prescribed by the Nomad diet is probably a good thing. I realize it will take some time for those white lines to disappear but just knowing that I am improving my health in ways I can and can't necessarily see makes me feel good. I wasn't 100% compliant on BTD and I doubt I'll ever be 100% on GTD but I strive for 80% or better. I think the added knowledge of illnesses my GT is prone too will help me make a more concerted effort to be "good".

Also, I learned that I had a pretty good time in the womb as my fingerprints are quite symmetrical! And I can tell my left-handed husband that he's not left-handed because he's special but because his mom was pregnant while raising 6 other kids and totally stressed out!

I wrote this on the GTD.com site:You don't have to do anything. At the minimum it will provide you with added insight about yourself (now... did you know your finger lengths or ridge patterns before the GTD?), and what you choose to do with it is completely up to you. I am perhaps the least autocratic diet guru out there. You guys are all adults. Factor in what appears authentic, benefit from that, and leave the rest. Check back periodically to see if things look better with the old 20/20 hindsight.

There have to be differences between the GTD and BTD. After all, to a certain degree they have different goals. Can you employ both? Sure, why not? It is all part of my larger search for the truth.

Funny, how the talk ran before the GTD came out. The majority of people were saying stuff like 'Well, I suspect that it is not going to change much from the other books, so I'm not even sure that I'll buy it.'

Of course if you do supply change, people freak out, but for different reasons.Be careful what you ask for..

;)

Nicely said. ((((Big hugs for all your hard work)))) :K)

Debra :)

Posted by: yaeli, Thursday, January 17, 2008, 2:51am; Reply: 11

BTD improved my life in many respects, and I am also 10 kg below my constant weight for long years. One critical thing I did not manage is to eat smaller portions. So, here I think come in the Gatherer modifications. The black dot beside carrot et al. Here I certainly have something to look forward to. And thanks a million again for the salmon! I admit I've been consuming it all along as if it were a super beneficial... ::) :K)

So, what I've managed to figure out from Dr. D's quote is this: If we got decent results from the BTD, we can stay on that diet. If we need to lose weight or have health issues we might want to follow the Genotype diet or at least choose some genotype diet "diamond" beneficial foods and add it to our BTD protocol. Not everyone has to make an abrupt change unless they feel it is physically necessary.

Absolutely right and good figuring there! If you are thriving on the BTD, you can definitely stick with it, dance with the one that brung ya! Hopefully, folks will put a lot of intelligent, reasonable thought into the process, just as you have, and reach the conclusion that is right for them. And when they do, it isn't set in stone: one could always try the GTD or go back to the BTD at a later date.

I LOVE the blood type diet and always will. It would take 20 pages at least to detail all the reasons why. The only reasons I'm transitioning to the GTD are that I believe it is the "next level" of Dr. D.'s work in nutrigenomics, in customizing diet for the individual, and that while I do very well indeed on the BTD, I still struggle with weight and I feel the Gatherer diet might help me address that. I can and have lost weight on the BTD, but I do have to be highly compliant with both the diet and exercise aspects to really do well in terms of weight. It is hard to sustain the level of perfect compliance necessary for me personally to get and keep the weight off. I sense that the Gatherer diet might be different in this respect and it is tailored specifically to my "weaknesses" in this area, so hopefully even during times when I'm not perfectly compliant, I won't lose too much ground and I'll be able to course correct more quickly. But make no mistake that the BTD is profoundly fantastic and I'm just trying to go from profoundly fantastic to profoundly fantastisimo. I'm just trying to evolve as the nutrigenomic science evolves.

If you are healthy and at a good weight and don't feel any need to change from the BTD, absolutely rejoice in it and continue thriving on it! You may wish to add a few GTD diamond superfoods, as you noted, but if not, no big.

Even if you chose to stay with BTD you can probably get some hints about incorporating some of the newer foods like noni that were not classified in any of the BTD books.

I may lean more toward incorporating the diamond foods. I'm not at my desired weight, but I did lose 42 pounds pretty painlessly last year while eating quite a few black dot foods. I am also generally pretty healthy too. When I go to a doctor they are puzzled that I am on no prescription medications at age 53. The way they look at me, it must be unusual.

I'm wondering if the 80/20 rule applies here, 80% of the benefit comes from 20% of the food choices as well as 80% of the harm from 20%. Perfection is usually too costly in terms of effort or cost to benefit.

When I go to a doctor they are puzzled that I am on no prescription medications at age 53. The way they look at me, it must be unusual.

omg, that is such an indictment of how SICK our society is!!!!!!!!!!!! Why should it be weird not to be on any medications at 53?! Why should it be weird not to be on any medications at 73?! I'm over people. ::)

I'm not on any prescriptions either (age 46). But apparently it is indeed highly strange and unheard of that I am not and even more so that I resist it actively if it comes up. I detest my primary care doctor and her staff with a burning white-hot passion!!! They cop SUCH a, almost HILARIOUS if it weren't so infuriating, 'tude if they prescribe something and you dare to ask WHY? Do I really need that? May I speak to the doctor?

What? Speak to the doctor?! Who do you think you ARE? No one speaks to the Great and Powerful Oz! And why do you need to know why she prescribed something, just tell us which pharmacy you want the prescription sent to and that will be that, why are you asking a QUESTION? That is unheard of! All our patients are on drugs and grateful for it! They don't ask WHY, they just fill out their prescriptions and that is how they know they have received "healthcare". You don't ask WHY, you don't dare to question things, this is unheard of! I mean, I guess I could give the doctor a message, but it simply isn't done! Why are you making such a big deal out of this, just fill out the prescription and TAKE it! That way, we're happy, the drug companies are happy, the economy is happy, everyone is happy...by questioning things, you are tampering with THE SYSTEM!

They really don't know what to do if they can't evaluate your prescriptions and write some new ones. I ended up in the ER last October because of feeling faint at work. They were convinced I was having a heart attack, which I was not. I guess at least I got a nuclear stress EKG to erase any doubt. However, my doctor had probably not sent me for one because my cardiac risk factors are so low, other than my weight which is coming down.

Posted by: Mrs T O+, Friday, January 18, 2008, 6:35pm; Reply: 16

I'm 60 w/ no prescription meds. That's not so unusual, I would think, but my aunt was 94 until she was prescribed one drug for dizziness (meclizine/antivert-anyone know about it?).She also may take an aspirin occasionally, but only one & makes sure she eats beforehand.I haven't shared with yawl, but she fell on the 7th & cracked her hip. She was in the hsopital 5 days & now they say she will only need 2 weeks in a nursing home for 'therapy.' She's kind of a character & needs prayer as we do to deal with her.My sis & I are the 'next of kin' & my sis lives in another state now, so guess who gets to deal with this eccentric AB. Boy, does the GT help me understand her. I can see that ABs have 4 GTs to 'choose from' & I'm sure she is one of the ones who can tolerate meat. Her sis, my mom, who died young (55), must have been a teacher or warrior (type A). Too bad...Their mom, my grandma, was a B who was big on beef. What an interesting study. I wonder if she was a gatherer, an explorer, or a nomad.On my dad's side, he was an O & I'm sure his brothers were as well as his mom who had O characteristics. His dad, who knows?Now, I'm glad I inherited the O from him rather than the A from my mom. I guess I'm getting off topic, but it relates to GTD somehow!!I love this board as we can get off topic & learn from each other. I also see how the off topic stuff really does dovetail into understanding the diets somehow.Sea Salt & Light,Mrs "T" O+ [hunter?]

Posted by: Ribbit, Friday, January 18, 2008, 6:51pm; Reply: 17

I pity the grandchild that ends up taking care of my AB daughter when she's old. :D ::) Maybe I'll write a book about how to deal with her and leave it to all my grandchildren one day. If I ever figure her out.

omg, that is such an indictment of how SICK our society is!!!!!!!!!!!! Why should it be weird not to be on any medications at 53?! Why should it be weird not to be on any medications at 73?! I'm over people. ::)

Makes me realize how lucky I am to live in my "granola" town. My healthcare providers and vet don't roll their eyes or look appalled at the fact that I follow BTD (well, now GTD) and want natural alternatives for healing. They actually ask me questions to understand my choices and make sure I am not endangering myself--as long as I'm making educated decisions that will achieve recovery, they're fine with it. When I told my pediatrician the types of foods my A daughter eats, she was satisfied and actually remembers at each visit that she is on BTD and makes suggestions accordingly.

My vet will research things for me on her own time in order to find natural remedies (she recently took a course on Chinese medicine--I just love her).

I love to watch labor and delivery shows because the babies make me sappy; but I am disgusted by how quickly OBs intervene with one drug after another. It makes me so grateful for our mid-wives who understand that one intervention will probably lead to another and it's best to leave well enough alone for as long as they can. I will always attribute my easy pregnancy and delivery to my dog*, kinesiologist and mid-wives (I wasn't on BTD yet or I'd credit Dr. D too) for teaching me how to take care of myself so my body can work the way it's supposed to.

* Getting even more off-topic, I had a dog who developed an apparently undiagnosable paralysis when he was a year old and we had to have him euthanized on the 25th anniversary of my mom's death. He was an awesome dog who I miss dearly. During his illness, I really explored natural healing. That dog renewed my faith in a higher power (the Lord works in mysterious ways, right?). I believe he came to me to teach me how to care for myself and my loved ones, so I could create and raise a happy, healthy child. And I also think he chose the day we had him put down because of its significance with my mom (he gave me a sign that day that it was time to let go). I take comfort in the fact that they're hanging out together now.

I liked what you had to say about your dog, Kate. I believe the connection between you and the meaning of your dog's health.

Also, my doctor and I have no trouble communicating about my excellent results from the remedies prescribed by my homeopathic practitioner and my following the blood type diet. Because of this, I am always relaxed at the time of my annual checkups. (hugegrin)